Dimensional Chaos
by P-Chan1
Summary: Erm... no new update. I messed up Premonition 03, that's all. @_@
1. New Arrivals 01

_Disclaimer: The Vision of Escaflowne, Tenchi Muyo, Rurouni Kenshin characters and any other anime characters who pop up later on are property of their respective owners. (I will likely add in series titles here as the characters pop up, if they do)._

Dimensional Chaos

_"New Arrivals 01"___

by [P-Chan][1] E-mail me! Puh leez! I need some input! Or encouragement!

Author's Note: My first fic ever!!!Be kind!!Oh—some of the characters you don't recognize from Esca are from other series, but treat them as new characters to make it less confusing.Happy reading!Review, review!

"Hey Hitomi!" yelled Yukari, running to catch up with her best friend, Hitomi Kanzaki, as they walked to their next class."Do you want to go to the mall after school today?" 

Hitomi turned around to face her friend, her shoulder length honey colored hair tossing softly and[][2] her green eyes sparkling, but with an apologetic look."I'm sorry, Yukari, but I need to meet my mom after class.We're going to the airport to pick up the exchange student that's staying at our house, remember?" 

"Oh yeah!What's her name again?" Yukari questioned. 

"It's Keiko.Keiko Kubayashi.Or at least I _think_ so,"Hitomi answered, with a sheepish smile. 

"What do you mean, you 'think' you know?" 

"Well, ummm...you see, the papers they sent us got... well... smudged... not too much but they were smudged... when I... uh... accidentally spilled my juice on them last week. From what was left I concluded that the closest name possible was Keiko." 

"That was a smart thing to do, Hitomi.Well, at least now there will be someone new to go to the mall with, "Yukari said mischievously.With that, the bell rang to signal the beginning of class, and the girls settled down to yet another boring lecture on the ever-present laws of gravity. 

***

Hitomi got into the car beside her mother and turned to her excitedly."What do you think she'll be like, Mom?"Will she like me?I hope we will get along-it'll be like having a sister.We can stay up late, do manicures, talk, watch TV..." 

"Did you remember to bring along the description card, Hitomi?" her mother interrupted as she turned into the airport parking lot."I'm still worried that we won't know who she is because the agency didn't send us a picture."

"I'm sure we will, Mom," Hitomi said optimistically."Oh no!I just thought of something—she's half Japanese and half English, isn't she?What if she can't speak Japanese?What will we do?" 

"Now, dear, I'm sure that she'll be fine.She would not have been chosen to come here if she didn't know Japanese.And you can always teach her, Hitomi."She opened the door to the airport and smiled at Hitomi."I know you'll make her feel right at home." 

Hitomi smiled back and began to scan the bustling crowd at the airport.She watched as the last passengers from Keiko's flight straggled out of the lobby.Only a few were left in the seats—a mother and her children, an old man, a boy around her age, and another teenager—a girl who also looked about her age. Hitomi walked up to the girl, who at close range looked a few years older than she, with shiny long black hair that Hitomi envied. 

"Hi!I'm Hitomi Kanzaki.You'll be staying with us for the next year as an exchange student, right?We've come to take you home." 

The girl looked at her a little strangely."Umm... I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about.Is this a joke?" 

Hitomi blushed, embarrassed."Then you aren't Keiko Kubayashi?" 

"I'm afraid not.I'm sorry.Goodbye."The girl walked quickly away from Hitomi. 

"All boarders of flight 420 to Tokyo, Japan, please prepare for departure at gate 46," the overhead loudspeaker boomed. 

[][3]Hitomi looked around the empty waiting area, dismayed.No one was left in the lobby.She turned to find her mother so that they could find help in locating their missing guest. 

Her mother was standing to the side, talking with the young boy she had seen earlier, who looked about her age."Hitomi!" she called."Come here!" 

A confused Hitomi made her way over to her mother. 

"Hitomi,"her mother said,"it seems there has been a mistake in the papers.Meet Keith Kubayashi, our exchange student."She indicated the young man who was standing next to her, smiling shyly at Hitomi.

_A boy?_ thought Hitomi._Keith?Oh no. What kind of a name is that?It does have a nice ring to it, though_—_it must be English._ Out loud she said politely, "Hello, Keith.It's a pleasure meeting you." 

_What was Yukari going to say? _

***

The city bustled with activily. Cheerfully, Merle handed a lunch to a construction worker."There you go, Mr. Ikagi."With a soft, irritated mrow, she scurried after the naughty street children, leaving Van to trail behind, watching the reconstruction with pride. When he'd finally caught up with her, Merle glared playfully at him. "You're so slow, Lord Van!" Van smiled slightly, but didn't respond. Pouting, Merle realized that he was too absorbed with watching his people to pay attention to her bantering. Sighing, Merle pulled him toward the shops that had already been restored. "Lord Van, let's enjoy the afternoon a bit!" Letting himself be led by his childhood friend, the King of Fanelia continued to tour his kingdom with pride. 

As he strolled along the street, Merle bubbled happily about everything she saw while Van nodded occasionally to acknowledge her cheerful chattering. Abruptly, Merle directed her full attention on Van. 

"Where's your sword?" she asked. She scrutinized him. 

Van shifted uncomfortably. 

"It's at the palace." 

Merle raised an eyebrow. 

"Why's that?" 

Van's expression became pensive. As he spoke, his eyes grew serious. "Though his methods were less than admirable, my brother's ideal of peace is a vision I, too, aspire to attain. I prefer his vision to the violence of the Great War. At least here, in Fanelia, I'd hope to be able to explore the kingdom without feeling a need to have a sword. Do you understand what I'm saying, Merle?" An awkward silence followed. A subdued Merle nodded, her eyes full of understanding and sympathy. But, shaking off the gloom that had settled upon her shoulders, Merle shoved Van playfully, taunting him, "Catch me if you can!" The serious mood broken, Van grinned and followed her as she wound her way through the alleys and streets of Fanelia. 

Heedless, Merle drew Van away from the buildings and into the shade of the surrounding forests. Delighting in her feline agility, Merle sped ahead, occasionally glancing back to make sure a hapless flag of red continued to trail after her. She tightened her grip on her knapsack, too, so that she wouldn't drop it as she ran through the woods. _It would not do to lose Van's new gifts from the generals_, she thought. 

Determined to truly outrun Van, Merle soon became lost in the maze of trees. She had planned to head towards Escaflowne but, in her haste, had lost her sense of direction. Moving more slowly, Merle reached a clearing and decided to wait for Van to catch up.

***

Van shook his head, pushing his hair out of his eyes. He could not help but feel as carefree as a child again, as if he were still the little prince of Fanelia, and not king. _Ah, Merle, you're lost again, _Van thought. Taking his time, Van followed the obvious trail Merle had left in her passing. 

***

Pouting, Merle glared at the trees. _He's doing this on purpose_, she thought. Sighing, she was about to settle down for a long wait when the leaves behind her rustled. Whirling, Merle beamed and cried, "Lord Van!" 

***

Shifting his shoulder pack, a lone figure trudged through the woods. Silently, he walked slowly, ignoring the shy, curious forest animals that dared to approach him. His garments were simple and primarily blue in color. Perpetually, a smile ghosted across his lips. A sheathed sword swung at his side, its hilt glinting in the forest light.

***

The smile left her face and Merle's eyes widened as the mountain bandits surrounded her. Drawing back, she snarled, but a harsh cuff from one of the bandits silenced her for a moment. She whimpered and screamed, "Lord Van!"

***

A cry reverberated through the woods. Two figures started and turned toward the sound. The birds fluttered as flashes of blue and red sped through the trees.

***

Merle gasped in pain as another bandit struck her. The men took her knapsack and she scrambled to retrieve it. "That belongs to Lord Van!" she cried angrily. One of the bandits grabbed her, trapping her wrists. Another put a sword to her throat. Merle's eyes widened in fear again. 

"Kill her." 

Merle felt the touch of cold steel on her skin. She shut her eyes and squeaked in fright. 

"Stop!" Merle's eyes flew open. Van stood in the clearing now, preparing to fight off the bandits. His red eyes glinted dangerously. Then she remembered that Van was completely unarmed. 

"Lord Van! Get away from here!" 

"Let her go," he said threateningly. 

The bandits laughed. "What will you do, boy?" Van clenched his fists angrily. He flung himself at the taunting bandit and Merle screamed in fear for him. Others joined the bandit, and they soon overpowered Van. 

"Kill him first," said the bandit leader. Merle screamed and struggled furiously, heedless of the sword at her throat. Helplessly, she watched as one drew a sword and prepared to slit Van's throat. 

_Clang! _

An unusual-looking sword braced the bandit's blade, keeping it just inches from Van's skin. Van and Merle gaped at the stranger in blue. A smile ghosted across his lips and stayed there.

"Perhaps the weak do not need to die. Shall we see if Kenshin was right?" 

[][4]In a blur, the stranger engaged the bandit with his sword. The queer blade flew, the stranger's strokes so rapid that the bandit barely avoided being sliced to death. With unearthly speed, the stranger defeated the bandits, forcing them to flee one after the other. Soon enough, the clearing emptied until only Merle, Van, and the stranger remained standing. 

The mysterious young man looked up at Van and Merle, his bangs falling away to reveal a boyish, smiling face. 

"The times are dangerous, even here, it seems. A sword is as necessary as ever." 

"Who are you?" 

Ignoring them, he continued to speak, addressing no one in particular. "I was told once that 'The strong survive and the weak must die'. Do you think that's true?" 

With that, he turned and vanished, leaving Van and Merle gazing at his retreating back, too surprised to follow.

**Stay tuned for the next chapter! Mwahahahaha!**

   [1]: mailto:P_Chan86@hotmail.com
   [2]: fanhitomi.gif
   [3]: fankeith.jpg
   [4]: FanArt1fanseta.gif



	2. Enemies 02

_Disclaimer: The Vision of Escaflowne, Tenchi Muyo, Rurouni Kenshin characters and any other anime characters who pop up later on are property of their respective owners. (I will likely add in series titles here as the characters pop up, if they do)._

Dimensional Chaos

_"Nemesis 02"___

by [P-Chan][1] E-mail me! Puh leez! I need some input! Or encouragement!

Author's Note: Oooohhh—second chapter!!!!Tiny bit of insanity but mostly evilness-nyo! (too much DigiCharat-nyo!)Thank you to all who reviewed—Toadie, Avalon, and Miaka79! Love you! I was so inspired I'm posting the next one! As for the rest of y'all, review, review! Happy reading! Oh—and spoilers of the show ahead about Allen's "little secret." It's Allen's turn in the spotlight! 

Allen Schezar wiped the sweat from his brow as he shook hands with the man he had just defeated in Palas' swordsmanship tournament. _Allen Schezar, you've done it yet again_, he congratulated himself. _And only two more left before you win and can wipe the floor with all of those snobs who said you were washed up as a Knight Caeli after the cafuffle with the king during the Great War._

Allen bowed to his next opponent and prepared himself. _And one, and two, and thrust_—_twirl and thrust..._

***

On the sidelines, a tall, slight, dark haired man watched Allen with eyes that thirsted for revenge, the bitter hatred giving his eyes a cold, red glare.

_Yes, Allen, play your games. Where were your fancy moves when he needed them? Where were you when he was dying?_

His mind drifted back to those bitter memories that twisted his heart and soul and killed a part of himself whenever he thought of them. Hurt, anger, and—yes, even guilt—all surrounded the death of his friend and lord, Duke Freid.

_He had been a close friend and advisor to the Duke for years. Aku Maru had lived and served in Freid since long before the arrival of the Asturian princess, Marlene, who had married his lord. As advisor and confidante of the duke, Aku was privy to his lord's deepest worries and personal troubles. He knew that Marlene had not loved his duke at first; he knew that Marlene had had another in her past; he knew that the child his lord claimed as his own was not the true progeny of the Duke of Freid. However, since his lord had loved Marlene enough to move beyond the incorrigible mistakes of her past, Aku had also moved on and come to deeply respect the gentle and courageous Marlene. However, since her death had occurred so soon after the marriage had begun, the duke had been unable to fully believe in Marlene's devotion to him. The Duke of Freid struggled with himself, hoping beyond hope that Marlene had loved him and hating himself for doubting her. It was this unhappiness of his lord that caused Aku to so resent the source of his lord's misery—namely, Knight Caeli Allen Schezar of Asturia, Marlene's former lover. However, the Duke was a wise, forgiving man. He held no grudge against Allen Schezar and he certainly did not begrudge his son, Chid, any of a father's loving devotion. The duke had wanted Chid to grow into a strong, wise ruler and encouraged his son to be brave at every opportunity._

Aku sighed, shifting uncomfortably at his unwelcome memories. He began to recall the day his friend and lord had died... 

_Zaibach forces had converged on Freid in search of the ancient treasure of Freid. A battle raged and the sky seemed to rain blood. Aku would later recall Allen Schezar's promise to fight for and protect the Duke of Freid—it had been Schezar's promise that had at last persuaded Aku to reluctantly leave his lord's side and protect young Chid, with the aid of Boris. Aku had known of Schezar's reputation with Scherezade and had felt reassured by Schezar's promise. However, the knight had failed. Freid was taken and the coward fled with his crew of fools, leaving behind the bloody body of his lord. Aku could not accept that the duke had entered the battle expecting to die; he could not believe that his duke had given orders for a retreat of the men, including Schezar. Aku only saw Schezar as the man who had failed to protect his lord, who had left the duke to his bloody death._

Aku's fist tightened and his eyes glinted with tightly controlled anger at the memory. Otherwise, there was no evidence of emotion on his face. The sound of clapping pulled him away from his private thoughts.

"Hooray, Sir Allen!"

The clapping continued as the blond knight bowed elegantly to the crowd. Suddenly, Aku felt his emotions boil over at the sight of the knight living life so casually and confidently while his duke lay in his grave. Stepping up to one of the officials, Aku whispered quickly into the man's ear.

"Next challenger: Captain Aku Maru of the Duchy of Freid!"

Allen glanced up in surprise. Only nobles had challenged him thus far. And, he hadn't seen Aku since the Great War. Smiling, Allen readied himself for a real challenge. At last.

Bowing politely, Allen readied himself to begin the match. His sister, Celena, caught his eye from the crowd and smiled encouragingly.

_Clang!_

The swords rang with the force of their impact. 

Allen glanced at Aku, surprised. The man was good, but that wasn't what had caught his attention. Aku seemed more earnest than his other opponents, more serious about the challenge. _Block, thrust, block, block, twirl and thrust..._Allen swung his sword in a reverse crescent, trying to yank the sword from Aku's hand. Aku swiftly countered the stroke, narrowly escaping losing hold of his blade. Their swords flew faster and faster. Allen, already exhausted by a morning full of fighting, eyed Aku warily. _His sword is too fast for me to let down my guard even for a second... _Allen jerked back, startled by the stinging sensation across his right cheek. He lowered his sword, ready to acknowledge his defeat, when he saw that Aku had no intention of stopping. Their swords rang out once more and flashed furiously in the over bright afternoon sun.

***

Celena observed her brother quietly as he sparred with the new challenger. His opponent was a rather handsome, but dark-looking man. She watched him as he gracefully countered her brother's strokes, admiring his skill. Suddenly, the crowd gasped as the stranger succeeded in slashing her brother's cheek; locks of his flying hair had been shorn off and floated gracefully to the ground. _Ooooooo...big brother will be upset about that...and that's an understatement._ Grinning, she tried to work her way to the front of the crowd. With difficulty, she pushed through the mass of people who blocked her way, growing worried; the match should have ceased with first blood. The clang of clashing swords could still be heard over the din of the crowd. Finally reaching the front, Celena focused on the pair of swordsmen fighting in the arena. However, instead of feeling worried about her brother, Celena found herself fixating on the long cut on his right cheek, the blood trickling down to his chin. Her body shuddered. Without realizing it, Celena raised a hand to her right cheek and began to stroke it. Her eyes widened, flashing red from deep in the blue depths of her eyes. She screamed and fainted to the grass.

***

Concentrating on each other, the sparring men pulled apart abruptly, startled by a sudden scream that broke into their battle. Scanning the crowd, Allen saw his sister crumple to the ground. Abandoning the duel, Allen rushed to his sister's side.

"Call the medics, fool!"

As people rushed to help the pair, Aku sheathed his sword after wiping away the small trace of blood along the blade. He pulled out a smoke reed. Lighting it, he began to smoke with one hand in his pocket and a smirk on his face. 

***

Sighing, Allen watched Celena toss restlessly in her sleep. He furrowed his brow, worried. _She's been so tired lately. I suppose she needs an escape from this stuffy court. _He glanced up at Christmas, perched in a dark corner of the room. The owl stared back at him but did not make a sound. Suddenly, a smile crept across Allen's face. _Fanelia. We'll take a vacation to Fanelia so that Celena can rest. Granted, moving to another court to escape this one may not make much sense, but Van's court is much better than this palace full of Asturian snobs. And I've been planning to visit Van anyway._ Pleased with himself, Allen left his sister's room to begin the preparations. Passing a hall mirror, Allen caught sight of his reflection and stopped, startled and disgusted. A white bandage covered his cut, which Millerna had examined and diagnosed as shallow enough to heal quickly without scars. But, the bandage was not what had bothered him. Disgruntled, Allen ran his fingers through his hair. The right side was unevenly cut, ruining the smoothness of his long locks and giving him a lopsided appearance. _Great, now everyone will think I have split ends._ Sighing, Allen thought,_ It will have to be cut until it's all even again. _Shaking his head, Allen continued down the hall.

***

Aku Maru sat near the fountains of the Asturian royal gardens. His eyes were slitted and his expression cold as he recalled his earlier duel with Schezar. He remembered the thrill of challenge he'd felt as he encountered Schezar's skill for the first time. Aku smiled dangerously. _We will finish our duel, Schezar. You and I. We will see who is best and I will avenge my lord's death._ He had heard earlier in the day that the famous blond knight was preparing for a journey to Fanelia. Getting up casually, with his trusty smoke reed in hand, Aku strolled to his quarters to prepare for a trip to Fanelia, too. 

***

Somewhere deep in space, at Galaxy Police headquarters, Kiyone and Mihoshi, Galaxy Police detectives, prepared to close their most recent case. 

"I guess that's it for A-class criminal Kain. Achika, Tenchi, and Washu effectively combined the power of Jurai with the genius of technology to seal him into that empty dimension. Kain should be safely trapped there. Achika's life may have been the cost, but I think we're all glad she willingly sacrificed so much to help the federated worlds. Aren't you glad the case is over, Mihoshi? Mihoshi! Are you listening to me?" Kiyone sighed exasperatedly. 

"Hmmm Kiyone? Did U say sumpthig?" Mihoshi replied as she stuffed her face.

"Nevermind."

Kiyone tapped a few panels. The screen flashed in bright red letters: "KAIN, A-Class criminal KAIN. Case closed."

***

An amorphous shape seethed through the darkness. On a barren, cratered surface, the dark being wandered. Periodically, a white visage appeared, disembodied, in the darkness. Cruel, angry eyes peered about, burning with hate. _I will get out._ Fangs were bared. A brilliant flash and the sound of steady striking began. A circular portal appeared, the round arch cracked. The weakened barriers fell away, and Kain entered a new dimension just as two Zaibach guymelefs had done so long ago. Only, Kain knew nothing of that. He knew nothing of the Atlanteans. Nor of the Mystic Valley. Or Nariya or Eriya. Not even of Folken. Certainly, he knew nothing about Gaea.

A cruel smile made his unnaturally pale visage even more grotesque. _Yes, I will grow strong here. I will get out._ As a burst of raw energy, Kain escaped the small haven and emerged in the skies of a placed called Gaea. Far away, two guards watched and wished on an unusually brilliant falling star.

"May Gaea always enjoy its peace."

The wheel of fortune had begun to turn.

***

The Zaibach crowds buzzed excitedly. 

"Ne, have you heard?"

"Heard what?"

"The new emperor is even stranger than the last. If that's even possible."

"Efficiency, efficiency, efficiency. That's all emperors ever want. They're all the same."

"But this one's REALLY weird."

"He's white...white as a ghost, as the wings of a draconian."

"And just as dark. Mysterious. Powerful."

"Oh, you goons. Don't believe all those rumors!"

"Shhh! The Midoshi have accepted his leadership!"

"Zaibach will be great again!"

"The Wizards will make us the most advanced nation in all Gaea!"

"The empire strikes back!"

"Zaibach shall be great again!"

"Zaibach shall be great again!"

"Zaibach shall be great again!"

"Long live the emperor!"

"Long live his majesty, Kain!"

From the shadows of a tower, a pale face smiled. _It will be just as it once was among the federated planets. The only difference is that there are only nations, not planets, for me to destroy. Devour. Feed on and devastate. _A strange eye glinted dangerously. _Yes, yes! All Gaea shall bend to my will and there is no one with the power to stop me!_ _The power of Jurai never was in this world and there is no power that can rival that power. _The fanged smile widened. _Perfect. It is all so perfect._

***

In the dark recesses of a Zaibach factory, a council of wizards met. The sorcerers, these Midoshi, oversaw the flurry of activity around them. The tallest, evidently the leader, shifted and turned to his companions. "We are to continue applying the emperor's new knowledge. Production is to be stepped up. Experiments are to resume. Zaibach has moved to a war economy." His glasses glinted evilly. The other Midoshi nodded and turned to busy themselves. The factory machines churned on and the ordinary Zaibachians toiled mechanically, lifeless bodies trapped in the repetitive, monotonous routine of the factory.

**Author's Note:**Yep, I'm back.Just in case anyone was wondering what "cafuffle" meant (if you can't figure it out by context), a synonym would be "mishap."Chapter Three is coming soon! *little note: hahahahaha—so funny!—I was revising this when I saw that every single time I wanted to say "Freid,"I typed "Fried."Wahahahahha—"your honorable Duke of Fried—"hahahahahhahaha!!!I'm sorry, I just had to get that out of my system—I've been laughing hysterically for the past five minutes and felt I should let y'all in on the joke. end little note*Mwahahahahahahaha!

   [1]: mailto:P_Chan86@hotmail.com



	3. Premonition 03

_Disclaimer: The Vision of Escaflowne, Tenchi Muyo, Rurouni Kenshin characters and any other anime characters who pop up later on are property of their respective owners. (I will likely add in series titles here as the characters pop up, if they do)._

Dimensional Chaos

_"Premonition 03"___

by [P-Chan][1] E-mail me! Puh leez! I need some input! Or encouragement!

**Author's note:**Wahhhh [sobbing uncontrollably]!!!!!I had this file all done and ready to be posted—I spent over an hour doing it—and it got [hiccup] ERASED [wailing]!!!I was preparing the next one and I accidentally saved over it—and EVERYTHING was g-o-n-e!!!!!So unfair!!!Wahhhhhhhh!!!!

Ok.This chapter was pretty fun to write and I hope you all will enjoy it.It's given me some joy in this horrible day.My day started off badly with certain actions from a certain teacher that I happen to despise [argghhhhh].But then I felt a little better when I vented some of my frustrations during break with my friend, making fun of the old witch-lady (my friend can do the best impression of her—it was hilarious).Then I got to see this fabulous jazz band from Tokyo, Japan play during music.It was ruined a little bit by some obnoxious people sitting in front of me.Oooo—I wanted to smack them [P-Chan with fist clenched, angry scowl] for being so rude when people were performing.Well, anyway, enjoy my little story (cuz it took so much work for me to do!). 0-o

Hitomi eyed Keith warily from where he sat across from her at the dinner table._A boy at _my_ house-for the next year?!Well, at least Koji seems to be having a good time._She sighed as she watched her little brother talking excitedly with Keith about video games or something._There goes my new sister, the late night talks, manicures, trips to the mall...in come rowdy boy games and another obnoxious brother.Oh well, at least he__'__s fluent in Japanese._Hitomi jumped as she realized that Keith had just asked her a question and was now smiling expectantly at her for an answer. 

"Uh-I-I'm sorry, my mind wandered a bit. Could you please repeat your question?" she stammered.

Hitomi's father laughed. "That's my Hitomi--her head's always up on some cloud. You'll get used to it, Keith."

Hitomi blushed and tried to make herself look as small as possible. "Dad, you're embarrassing me!" she murmured. Unfortunately, her family only laughed more.

Keith laughed as well, then smiled sympathetically at Hitomi. "Don't feel bad, I'm like that too sometimes," he whispered.

"Thanks," Hitomi whispered back. "Oh--what was your question?" 

"I was just wondering what your school was like. I'll be going there with you tomorrow, you know, so I just wanted to know about classes and stuff. I'm rather nervous about starting in a new school, since I don't think my Japanese is all that great," Keith replied.

"I'm sure you'll do fine, Keith, from what I've heard of your Japanese so far. But if you want, I'd be happy to tutor you a bit, so that you can practice, if you'll help me learn English," Hitomi offered.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you," Keith said happily, grinning.

Hitomi smiled back, his grin contagious. "You're welcome."

* * *

"Hi-tom-eee!!!!"

Hitomi jolted out of bed. What time was it? She squinted at her alarm clock, which blinked 5:45. Hitomi groaned and fell back onto her bed. School didn't start until 8:00. Why was her mother calling her? she thought, annoyed.

"Keith has to meet with the principal to double-check some of his registration information, so you have to go to school early. Wake up, Hitomi!"

Hitomi rolled slowly out of bed, groaning as she headed toward the bathroom to brush her teeth.

* * *

Still a little bleary-eyed, Hitomi walked down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Her mother was busily preparing a meal for her. Keith was already eating at the table, dressed in the suit-like school uniform, looking a little anxious as he greeted Hitomi good morning.

"Good morning, Keith," Hitomi said as she slipped into a chair across from him and picked up the newspaper. _Hmmm...I wonder if there are any good movies playing this weekend. Maybe Yukari and I can--"_ She broke off her thoughts and looked questioningly at Keith.

"Um, I was asking you if you would be ready to leave for school soon. My appointment's in, um, twenty minutes."

"Really?!" Hitomi gulped down the rest of her breakfast and grabbed her bookbag. "Let's go!"

Keith nodded and stood to retrieve his bag as well.

* * *

Hitomi walked briskly, occasionally checking to see that Keith could keep up. Surprisingly, he kept up easily, taking long strides to match her quick steps.

"So, how do you think you'll like being at my school?" Hitomi asked cheerfully, attempting to break the silence. 

"Huh? Oh-- I hope I'll fit in alright. I'm planning on joining the track team, so I hope I'll meet some people from that," Keith replied.

"Track? I'm on the girls' track team, so we'll probably be staying after for practice a lot. It's good that you're joining track--you won't have to stand around waiting for me the entire time," Hitomi said excitedly, grateful that there was at least one thing she could talk to him about.

"Really!? Do you think you could introduce me to some of your guy friends? That way I won't, you know, feel so awkward," Keith asked.

"Sure, no problem." Hitomi answered. "Um, Keith, we'd better hurry it up, or we'll be late. Do you want to run the rest of the way?"

"Alright. Hey--why don't we race? Ready? One, two--Hey! No fair, Hitomi! Not until three-slow down! Cheaters never prosper, you know!" Keith yelled.

Hitomi laughed, not slowing down at all. She was glad Keith was so friendly. Talking about track had broken some of the tension. _Maybe this won't be as bad as I thought._

* * *

Hitomi walked across the campus, her eyes searching the faces of those she passed. It was now fifteen minutes after track practice, and Hitomi was anxious to ask Keith how his day went. She had been scouring the halls now for ten minutes, and she was getting annoyed. _I'm sure I told him that we would walk home right after practice, but then, with all the excitement of his first day, he probably forgot, _she reasoned. Hitomi hadn't seen Keith since the period before lunch, since their schedules differed and she had had a meeting during lunch. She hadn't had the opportunity to remind him since then.

Ahead of her she spotted a large group of girls talking. Hitomi decided to ask them if they had seen Keith. As she walked closer, Hitomi began hearing bits and pieces of their chatter.

"Did you see him yet? He is sooo cute!" one girl squealed. The others squealed in agreement.

"Oh, and that's not all. He's friendly, and sweet, and charming. I heard he's a whiz in class, and a wonderful athlete," another girl simpered, a dreamy expression on her face.

"He's _PERFECT_!!" the girls crooned in unison.

Hitomi walked faster, curious. Who were they talking about? She stepped up to them. "Hi! I was wondering if you had seen my friend, Keith. Oh, I was also wondering--who were you talking about?"

"KEITH?!!!" they all squealed. "You know Keith? That's who we were talking about!"

"You--can't be serious...you _are _serious?! Well...um...have you seen him? We were supposed to be walking home ten minutes ago," Hitomi stammered.

"Yeah, he's over there, talking to some of the guys," one of them said, pointing. "Why are you walking home with him? Is he your boyfriend or something?"

"No!" Hitomi almost shouted. "He's an exchange student staying at my house. Besides, I already have a...never mind. Thanks for your help. Bye!" Hitomi walked away quickly, not wanting the girls to ask any more questions. Especially not questions about her supposed boyfriend. 

Suddenly, Hitomi saw something flutter down out of the corner of her eye. She turned, and was barely able to catch a glimpse of it before it disappeared. _It...it can't be...what I think it is...can it? But why? Why?_

With those thoughts fluttering in her mind, Hitomi found Keith, who apologized profusely to, in his opinion, a rather absentminded Hitomi as they walked home. Keith noticed her unusual silence and asked gently, "Hitomi? Is something wrong? Are you mad at me for making you wait? I'm really sorry, and it'll never happen again. Please don't be mad, Hitomi."

Hitomi turned to look at him and forced herself to smile. "No, I'm not mad at you. It's nothing. I guess I'm just a little tired, is all. Don't worry about me, I'm all right. Hey, look! We're home. Mom's probably worried."

Keith nodded, following Hitomi through the gate. He couldn't help feeling, however, that everything wasn't "all right" with Hitomi.

* * *

Hitomi stared at the phone. She had just taken a bath and was preparing for bed. But there was still something troubling her. _What the heck, _she thought, _I might as well get some of it out of my system._

"Hello, Uchida residence. Yukari speaking."

"Hi, Yukari. It's me, Hitomi. Can we talk?"

* * *

"So they thought Keith was your boyfriend?! That's hilarious!" Yukari laughed. "I don't see why that would be such a bad thing, exactly."

"Yukari!"

"Well, he's smart, nice, and good at sports. Not to mention he's really dreamy, with that chestnut colored hair and those intense blue eyes. Hey, if I didn't have Amano, _I'd_ go for him. Why don't _you_, Hitomi? You don't have a boyfriend right now, and he's just your type--into track and stuff," Yukari said slyly.

"Yukari, you've got a one-track mind. I don't even like him, at least, not that way. I mean, he's just a friend. Besides, I just met him!" As she said this, Hitomi thought to herself, _Why _don't_ you like him? He's perfect in every way; everyone's dream guy. Except mine. Hitomi bit her lip in concentration. What if I told Yukari about him? She's my best friend. But---what if she doesn't believe me? What if she laughs at me, or says that I should just get over him? **No**. I can't tell anyone._

"Hitomeeee!" Yukari was singing over and over into the phone. Apparently Hitomi had spent too much time thinking, and Yukari had become impatient.

"Yukari, I'm sorry. It seems I can't concentrate on anything recently. Like at dinner yesterday, and this morning, and..." Hitomi began recalling to Yukari her absentminded antics, sending Yukari into spiels of laughter. Soon after the two decided to end their conversation and Hitomi went to bed, none of her concerns resolved, but feeling a bit better anyway.

* * *

_ Keith was walking in front of her, his back towards her. Why was he not answering her calls? Suddenly, figures appeared beside him---an armed girl in black, a young man in blue, a dark-haired man in black, a cat woman, a woman with light blond hair, a man dressed like a Knight Caeli, and a teenage boy in a red shirt._

_ Hitomi gasped. VAN? She ran towards him, but a brilliant beam of blue light came between them, growing until it engulfed him, her, and everything around them._

_ She looked up. The earth and moon shone brightly in the velvet sky. She was in Gaea. In the distance she could see....Escaflowne? It towered above the trees, then---turned into a dragon and flew away. The sky grew darker, and the earth and moon dissolved from the sky, only to be replaced by a strange, frightening face bearing a grotesque, evil smile. Hitomi was about to scream when a woman appeared, wearing a long, flowing white kimono, with pale skin and silver hair. Hitomi sensed great power emanating from the woman, but was unsure of what it was._

_ "My name is Achika, of the House of Jurai. The face you just saw was Kain. He has come from another world through the gate of Atlantis in the Mystic Valley, to Gaea. Kain seeks to tear apart Gaea, throwing it into destruction." Achika showed Hitomi a series of images--Kain coming through the gate, Kain finding his way to the defeated country of Zaibach, Kain followed by troops of Guymelefs..._

_ "Hitomi, you must stop this. Only you and your friends have the power to defeat Kain."_

_ Hitomi opened her eyes, she had closed them unconsciously after seeing the images of Kain. There was Escaflowne in front of her once again, standing between her and Zaibach troops. _No,_ Hitomi thought, _Van doesn't want war_. As Hitomi watched, Kain grew larger and larger, his hate swallowing everything, including Escaflowne, changing it from white to sinister black. _NO!!_ Hitomi screamed. _VAN!!!

Hitomi jolted up in bed, breathless and sweating._ What was that?! _she thought.She closed her eyes, remembering the distorted, confusing images. It was the sensation she had felt many times before, but had thought was gone forever._ Why? _she thought desperately._ Why are my visions coming back now?_

**Author's Note**: Hehe! How do y'all like this part of the story? It took me _forever!!!!!_ I'm still working on getting her to Gaea (which is inevitable, of course), but I am having difficulty getting around to it. So many things keep getting in the way!! Oh--how do you like Keith????? E-mail!!!!!I would really really like some comments from people who are reading this fic (just to boost my morale when I'm writing), so if you could write an e-mail after you finish each chapter, I'd really appreciate it.You could write a really short one—"Great Job!" (that is preferred) or "Ok story" or even "You suck!" or "Your story was crap!" (even though I would like the first two better), just so that I know what you all are thinking.Thanks! OH, and since there are so many story lines going, I got totally confused for a while and messed up the chapter order, which I'm still trying to figure out!!! Oh well, all the story lines will merge soon enough… hopefully!

   [1]: mailto:P_Chan86@hotmail.com



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